


Exhaustion

by MsChievous



Series: Whumptober 2018 [19]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Overworking, Poor Prompto Argentum, Quite Literally
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 10:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16344812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsChievous/pseuds/MsChievous
Summary: Prompto works hard to support himself through high school. Perhaps a bittoohard.





	Exhaustion

**Author's Note:**

> I.... I thought I posted this earlier???? wtf is wrong with me.

“Well, can you at least check in the back? It’s a very popular product, I’m sure you’ll have some back there,” 

Prompto forces a tired smile over his face. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll be right back.” He pushes past the swinging doors into the back room and slides his phone out of his pocket. He vaguely entertains the notion of just falling asleep here, but he still has to read two chapters for his history class. He has to take every chance he can to catch up.

Once almost five minutes have passed, he slides his phone back into his pocket and heads out with a sad smile pasted across his cheeks. “I’m sorry ma’am, I looked all over, we don’t have any.”

“Are you sure? Did you check everywhere?”

“I am positive. There’s nothing back there. Sorry.”

“Well, this is an outrage! Such terrible customer service, you really should have extras in case people need them!”

Prompto nods along with the woman’s ranting until she turns her attention to his poor coworker at the guest services counter. He resumes restocking the candy aisle, trying not to punch a small child who messes up his work the second he moves away.

 

* * *

 

“Yes, I’ll have…. Um…. do you guys sell burgers?”

“...This is Burger King…”

“So you sell burgers?”

“...yes.”

“Cool. I’ll have a burger. And can I have cheese on top?”

Prompto sighs and adds a cheeseburger to his order. “Do you want fries and a drink with that?”

“Yeah, uh- what’s this “Chzbgr” thing I’m buying?”

“It’s cheeseburger. You wanted-”

“I wanted a burger with cheese, not a cheeseburger!”

“Okay,” Prompto says, tapping on his screen and changing the CHZBGR to a BGR w/CHZ, and the man thanks him. Prompto wonders if the man is high.

The man pays and takes his  _ burger with cheese _ with a bright ‘thank you very much’ that’s out of place at one thirty in the morning.

He rubs his eyes and resumes his homework. He only has a half an hour left in this shift, then he can go to bed. He’s almost done with this anyway. 

 

* * *

 

“Prom, wake up,” Noctis sighs, poking his best friend’s cheek.

“‘M not sleeping,” the blond shoots back, though his eyes remained closed, and his head is still pillowed in his arms.

The prince pokes his cheek again. “I don’t think the teachers will see it that way.”

“‘S lunch, who cares?”

“Does that mean I can eat your fries?”

“Ugh, go ahead, I have too many at- I have them often enough,” Prompto says. He meets Noct’s knowing look and sighs. “Yeah, at  _ work _ . I don’t care if we’re not supposed to have a job, not all of us can be the prince.”

“I keep telling you, man, if you need money you just gotta ask.”

“I have standards, Noct. I’m not gonna be someone’s sugar baby.”

“Do I look old enough to be a sugar daddy?” the prince counters.

Prompto laughs. “Fair enough.” He sits up with a groan and shovels food into his mouth. Now that the winter months are closing in, his bosses at his first job have been pressuring him to take longer and longer hours. They give him better pay, but the bone-deep exhaustion pulls at him. He just has to get through the holiday season, then things will slow down.

 

* * *

 

“Argentum!” His science teacher snaps him out of a catnap. He jerks upright with a start, heart hammering in his chest a million miles an hour. “Save the sleeping for after school.”

Prompto apologizes, trying to ignore the faint snickers from around the class. This was the second time he had fallen asleep in class today. Luckily Noctis wasn’t here to witness this, or he’d get really worried.

His eyelids droop, but he pinches himself hard in the thigh. 

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Prom, you ready for some dodgeball?” Noctis asks with a wicked grin.

“Only if you’re on my team. Or not allowed to warp.”

The prince slings an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Come on, if it’s an innate skill, it’s not technically cheating, is it?”

“I think if you can phase through  _ dodgeballs _ it’s a little bit cheaty, yeah,” Prompto responds.

“You’re no fun,” the prince pouts.

The blond doesn’t have the energy to respond, so he shrugs and pastes a retail smile on his face. 

He nearly falls asleep standing up- a new first for him, but probably not anything out of the ordinary for his friend- but the gym teacher’s voice is piercing, and every time he’s about ready to fall asleep, her voice jerks him awake.

“Alright, run two laps, then we’ll split you all into two teams.” She claps, and everyone springs into action.

Prompto takes his place alongside Noctis’ half-jog, fighting lead-filled legs and a rapidly-greying vision- wait, what?

He stumbles to a stop, but his momentum carries him farther until he’s face down on the ground, and that greying vision is entirely black, and Noctis’ voice is so far away…

 

* * *

 

It’s dark when he wakes up again. His eyes are hard to open, but he manages to swim back to consciousness. He has to get to school. What time is it?

He scrabbles for his phone on his nightstand but realizes with a pounding heart that it’s not where it usually is. Shit, where’s-

Why is he in Noctis’ room?

He slides out of bed and covers a yawn. Did they have a sleepover Prompto forgot about? His brain feels as sluggish as his legs, but he’s got to get going before he’s late to… he’ll be late to something.

Ignis is in the kitchen when he shuffles out, and Noctis is lounging on the couch. Both of them look at him when he comes into view.

“Sleep well?” The advisor asks mildly.

Prompto nods. “Wha’ time is it?”

“A little past eleven.”

Panic jolts through Prompto’s spine. He was supposed to start work at nine, his boss is going to be mad-

“I took care of your employment situation. You are allowed time off until the end of the week,” Ignis says, “You need to take a break, Prompto.”

“N-no, I gotta- I’m fine, I just needed to sleep, I can work now,” Prompto hurries to the entryway and stuffs his feet in his shoes. “Where’s my phone? I gotta-”

There’s a comforting hand on his shoulder and he nearly jumps. “Prompto, relax. You passed out this morning. You’ve been asleep for nearly twelve hours. Your body needs you to rest.”

“I’m fine-”

“Seriously, Prom, just quit, you can’t need money  _ that _ bad.”

“I do!” Prompto snaps, “I want to fucking  _ eat _ , dude!”

A tense silence fills the room, and static fills his ears. He starts stuffing his feet in his shoes again. Before he moves to get out, Ignis’ hand on his shoulder tightens. 

“Please get off me,” Prompto whispers.

“Not before you eat first. I refuse to let anyone in this household go hungry. Even if you don’t live here. Understand?” The advisor’s voice is stern like he imagines a parent’s would be.

Tears gather at the corner of his eyes and Prompto blinks them away. “O-okay. Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> *slaps some shit on the computer*  
> *posts it to ao3*  
> *instantly falls asleep again*


End file.
